If A and B are 2x2 matrices, how is the input (A*B)^2 interpreted by MATLAB as?

Is (A*B)^2 interpreted as A*B*A*B or (A*B)*(A*B)?

[Matt J]

These are mathematically equivalent. Do you mean, in what order are the operations performed?

Answer 1

[Matt J]

It is interpreted as,

tmp=A*B;

C=tmp*tmp;

Answer 2

[Benjamin Thompson]

Since 2x2 matrix multiplication is supported by the associative property, both of those interpretations are the same. This is similar to scalar multiplication.